Gracious Whitney graces the cover of the Titans Cheerleaders Calendar

No doubt, Whitney was born to be a Tennessee Titans Cheerleader. The daughter of a cheerleader, Whitney started cheer at age seven, then through high school and college. Even when participating in other sports, Whitney’s innate cheer spirit emerged. “My mom was a cheerleader and I kind of just grew up knowing that’s what I wanted to do,” Whitney explained. “I tried playing softball but I was the girl in the dugout cheering on the rest of my team.”

And Titans faithful would not want their fan favorite any other way. Along with teammate Jocelyn, Whitney graces the cover of the Titans Cheerleaders 2014-15 Swimsuit Calendar. Whitney detailed for UltimateCheerleaders how she went straight from college to pro cheer, being on stage in concert with Florida Georgia Line, and, although I refuse to believe it, Whitney claims that she went through an age not quite as photogenic as she is today.

One reason Whitney was born to be a Titans Cheerleaders is that she is a native Tennessean. “I was born and raised in Soddy Daisy, a small town right outside of Chattanooga,” Whitney details. “I moved to Nashville two weeks after graduating from the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga. I have one younger brother, Jackson, who also lives in Nashville.”

Another requirement of being the perfect TTC is being ready for the sideline extremes of Nashville’s summers and winters, and Whitney’s best family moments helped prepare her for that. “My favorite memories were all the places we traveled to for vacation,” remembers Whitney. “We went skiing in Canada, Montana, and Colorado. We also went to Vegas, Mexico, and Florida. Every year we went somewhere different and we always had the best time.”

Though a Nashville resident now, Whitney has fond feelings for her natal area. “Chattanooga is so beautiful,” Whitney says. “It has all kinds of outdoorsy things to do. They have the new aquarium, famous Chattanooga Choo Choo, cute art shops, boutiques, fun restaurants, and a building you can rock climb. It’s very artsy and downtown always has something going on.”

But much of Whitney’s time growing up was devoted to her passion for cheer. “I have a long history of cheerleading,” recounts Whitney. “I started off in All-Stars when I was seven years old, and cheered throughout middle school, high school, and college. I remember my first cheerleading competition like it was yesterday. I was in second grade. Our music was a mixture of songs, but Alan Jackson’s song “It’s alright to be little bitty” was a big part of it because we were pee-wee’s. We had the coolest black, blue, and silver uniforms. We had our pony tails on top of our heads with ringlet curls, tons of hair spray, and glitter head to toe. I’m pretty sure we dropped all of our stunts and forgot most of the motions, but our tumbling was perfect so we didn’t care.”

“There’s nothing better than an adrenaline rush, and that’s what competition cheerleading gives you,” Whitney continues. “You work all year long, go to a handful of competitions, and you have one try to get it right. I started off at United All-Star Cheerleading, cheered at Loftis Middle School, cheered at Soddy Daisy High School, and competed with United my senior year, then cheered 4 years at UTC.”

Whitney loved her university time at UTC. “College was an awesome experience,” Whitney details. “I was in and out in four years, so it flew by, but I had the time of my life. I majored in Communications and minored in Business Marketing. My concentration was in broadcasting, radio, and journalism, so I did radio segments, broadcasted on air, and did marketing for a local radio station in Chattanooga. My best memories are definitely with the UTC cheerleaders and football players. We were all really good friends. Our parents tailgated together so it was like one big family! I also had the opportunity to travel to New York City and Arizona while I was cheering. I have only the best memories with UTC and I’ll always cherish those moments.”

But remember, Whitney was destined to be a Titans Cheerleader. “I was graduating from UTC in May of 2012, so I was ready to start a new chapter in my life,” said Whitney, when asked what prompted you to try-out for the TTC. “I somewhat felt like I had done everything in Chattanooga that I could possibly do. I wanted something more and I’ve always admired NFL cheerleaders so I just decided to go for it. It was last minute and I didn’t tell many people. I remember standing behind the curtain waiting for the names to be called. There were 50 girls backstage and 27 spots. They started calling names and I was one of the last ones behind the curtain. I just remember telling myself over and over that if it’s meant to be, God will make it happen, and if it’s not, then I’m not meant to be in Nashville. When they finally called my number, I probably looked down five different times at my number just to be sure I heard right.”

And Whitney’s football loving family was thrilled to have her as part of the Titans. “I don’t think anyone was prouder than my mom, dad and brother,” Whitney says. “My entire family has always been huge football fans. From middle school to college, I cheered for a football team, and my brother played so it has been a huge part of my life in that aspect as well.”

But Whitney’s Titans journey was just beginning, and some of the TTC workouts are legendary. When Whitney first participated, did she think, “No problem!” or rather, “Nobody told me it was going to be boot camp?” “If you know our Director Stacie (Kinder), you know that she means business,” answers Whitney. “Fitness is a huge part of her life in general. She has had two kids and she has better abs than me. No joke! I have the utmost respect for her because she’s right there with us doing everything. There are no surprises with her either. She makes it very clear that this is the NFL and nothing about it is easy. I did all that I could to prepare myself but it still kicked my butt. It’s so challenging that when I passed my Fitness Friday test my rookie year, I cried. It’s an accomplishment and I was proud!”

As those who know her might expect, Whitney’s favorite things about being with the Titans are not self-centered, but about helping others. “Hands down, the best thing about being a Tennessee Titans Cheerleader is the platform it gives you to inspire and touch the lives of people from all around the world,” Whitney reflects. “We do so much in the community and interact with so many different people on a regular basis; it’s just an awesome thing to be a part of. I keep coming back because I’m still in love with it just as much as I was my very first year. I still have that burning feeling within me to do more, be more and more importantly help others.”

But TTC has provided Whitney some great personal memories, including being on stage with Florida Georgia Line. “I have been a part of so many other amazing experiences,” recounts Whitney. “I was booked for a huge Maxim event my rookie year. I performed with Florida Georgia Line at their sold out concert at the Bridgestone Arena. I walked the red carpet at the CMA’s this year, and I was recently involved in the American Country Countdown Awards.”

“The feeling of performing in front of a sold out show at the Bridgestone Arena is truly indescribable,” continues Whitney. “We were hanging with Luke Bryan, Florida Georgia Line, and the guys from Duck Dynasty. I’ve also had the opportunity to meet and hang with Steven Tyler, Tim Tebow, and Garth Brooks. They are all so nice, so friendly, and they make you feel right at home.”

Whitney’s full time job utilizes her best traits, her love of helping others, and her personal motto. “I am an Executive Assistant for the President of our company,” explains Whitney. “I basically take care of his schedule, flights, hotels, meetings, the company credit card, events, entertainment, our annual golf tournament, and our suite at the Bridgestone Arena. We are the official sponsors of the Nashville Predators, so I stay busy working with them. My boss and I are also board members of Rocketown, which is a local non-profit in Nashville benefiting kids and teens. Rocketown is a skate park, has three different venues, after school programs, and summer camps. It’s a Christian based non-profit that was started by Christian recording artist Michael W. Smith.”

Asked about her strengths, Whitney responds, “My strengths consist of being extremely organized and detail-oriented. I’m very timely as well, which is something you have to have in this business. Everything I do has a deadline and most of the time the deadline is ‘now.’ My job is very demanding at times but I have the mindset ‘Work hard, Play harder’ so it couldn’t be more perfect for me.”

And in addition to work and dance, Whitney says, “I’m extremely active and enjoy running, hot yoga, and hot box, so those are my ‘sports’ I challenge myself with.”

So Whitney, what is your advice to those trying out for an NFL cheer squad for the first time? Of things both big and small, what can someone do to prepare for auditions? “Do your research!” responds Whitney. “Go to the VIP workshops, and go to the dance classes taught by our director, Stacie. She will also tell you important information so you’re not blinded going into auditions. Be excited and go into it with an awesome attitude. Most auditions have minimum 300 to 400 girls every year so be prepared. Be fit and look the part!”

In her third season with the Titans, Whitney was honored this season on the cover and centerfold in the Titans Cheerleader Swimsuit Calendar. “Being chosen as a cover girl is one of the best feelings I’ve ever had,” Whitney says. “It’s very surreal and I’m just so thankful for everything the Lord has done in my life and continues to do. We have hundreds of alumni Cheerleaders and only a handful get to experience that feeling, so it’s very much an honor.”

And Whitney, if Sport Illustrated asked you to be in the swimsuit edition, and you could pick any exotic locale for the shoot, where would you choose? “I would want to shoot with Sports Illustrated in Tahiti,” Whitney replies. “It’s so beautiful and I’ve always wanted to go.” Okay SI, start making some Tahitian plans!

Whether on location or on the sidelines, Whitney is just so photogenic, certainly she has never taken a bad photo in her life. But, was there ever a time that even she looks back at younger photos and cringe? “Oh my gosh, YES!” Whitney exclaims. “There are tons of hilarious pictures of me, especially when I was in fifth grade. I had the thickest eyebrows, really crooked teeth and my ‘style’ of clothing was definitely the best part. Those were the years of the Spice Girls so I wanted to dress just like them.”

Well, today, no Titans Cheerleaders fans at LP Field are surprised that Whitney graces the calendar cover, but “grace” describes many, many more facets of who Whitney really is. Whitney also would be the perfect cover for magazines featuring “Nashville’s Brightest Young Professionals,” “Super Gracious Tennesseans,” and “People’s Most Genuine People.” Those are qualities that are the reason that Whitney embodies someone born to be a Tennessee Titans Cheerleader.

Thank you so much Whitney for sharing your insights! And of course many thanks to Titans Director of Cheerleading Stacie Kinder for her support, and the assistance of the Titans media group!

You can follow Whitney at these links on Facebook and Twitter. More photos of Whitney are at this link